NO MARRIED WOMEN.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20362, 20 July 1934, Page 8

NO MARRIED WOMEN.

Debarred From Teaching Profession. BOARDS DECISION 7 . The employment of married women teachers was again vigorously discussed at a meeting of the Canterbury Education Beard this morning. Mr R. Wild moved to rescind the resolution passed on March 17, 1933, that ” except to the extent required by the Act, the board decline to appoint married women teachers.” Mr Wild’s motion was defeated by seven votes to five. Mr Wild said that events had proved that the board required discretionary Power. The Chief Inspector (Mr A. M Neil) asked instruction from the board, and the board should be in a position to give it. The motion was seconded by Mr W. A. Banks, who also stressed the need for discretionary power. They had come across cases of women who had left their positions to become married, and then for various reasons had found themselves “ up against it.” “ The better educated they are the harder it is for them,” he said, “ and we should be able to consider cases on their merits.” Though he strongly objected to married women teachers whose husbands were in a position to support them, Mr C. S. Thompson was also of the opinion that the board should have seme discretion in the matter. He Quoted an instance where the board’s decision should be put into operation in his opinion. In this case the wife of a headmaster was an assistant-mistress at his school, and their combined salary was in the vicinity of £ls a week. Nevertheless, there were other cases where there was great hardship, and by its present ruling the board was bound. They had been fighting for years for latitude in the administration of their powers, yet in this case they were declining to accept the latitude allowed. Some women who had been splendid teachers were now in very straitened circumstances through no fault of their own. Mr S. Baird said that though there were undoubtedly deserving cases he did not think the board should become a chariable aid body.